TEDxDetroit will bring together the area’s leading thinkers, designers, entertainers, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and students for an inspiring day to celebrate ideas worth spreading this fall.
The annual event returns 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Masonic Temple, located at 500 Temple Street in Detroit.
“When it all comes together TEDxDetroit is part business conference, part science fair, part art festival and part revival,” said Charlie Wollborg, curator of TEDxDetroit and co-founder of Moka Boka Adventure Books. “It really is a crazy day that fills your head with new ideas, your belly with fire, and puts the spring back in your step.”
Buy Tickets Today
Tickets go on sale for TEDxDetroit beginning Tuesday, August 13th [click here to purchase your ticket via Connect.Space].
“This is the eleventh TEDxDetroit and we’ve seen a lot of change in the city over the past several years,” said Janet Tyler, executive producer of TEDxDetroit and founder of True Depth Growth Accelerator. “I continue to believe in our mission of sharing ideas and experiences that inspire attendees and provide the shot in the arm we all need every now and then.”
The day-long conference, which sells out every year, is dedicated to sharing positive ideas for the world from Detroit – through live TEDTalks, videos, hands-on exhibits in TEDxLabs, art, music and more. It’s meant to spark innovative new ideas and to foster collaborations throughout the region.
Wollborg said he continues to be inspired by the creativity, perseverance, and resourcefulness of TEDxDetroit speakers, exhibitors, and its producers.
“When the news of the day is overflowing with hate, blame, and doom, TEDxDetroit refills my tank of optimism by bringing us together and blazing a trail to our bright, shared future,” he said.
The first TED idea conference was held in California in 1984. TED was an acronym for technology, entertainment, and design – three fields that spur innovation across the economy. TEDx brings the spirit of TED’s mission of ideas worth spreading to local communities around the globe. The TEDx program began in 2009. Each TEDx event is independently-organized at the local level under a license granted by TED and following their guidelines.
For a limited time, beginning at noon on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, $75 early bird tickets will be available for purchase.
Do you have an idea worth spreading?
Now is also the time for aspiring TEDxDetroit speakers, performers, and exhibitors to apply to be part of the 11th annual event. Speaker applications are now open online. The line-up for this year’s event will be announced in mid-September.
“We fill the stage with people who make us think, laugh, cry, and say ‘wow!’,” said Tyler. “It’s always an eclectic array ranging from CEOs to artists to scientists that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Over the past decade, TEDxDetroit has featured such notable speakers as Pixar director Jim Murphy, NASA planetary scientist Cathy Olkin, graphic designer Aaron Draplin, and ESPN anchor Jemele Hill plus the founder of Baby Einstein, Forbes woman of the year, the inventor of a blade-less wind turbine, two college students who teach app development to teens in juvenile detention, and a 7-year old who started a lemonade stand that raised thousands for charity. This year’s mix will be similar.
The deadline for 2019 speaker and performer submissions is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13. Speakers and performers will be notified and announced publicly beginning Sept 18, 2019.